Terrible CA Cemetery Scandal Compares to IL Desecration of African American Historic Cemetery
The latest cemetery scandal is now in Mission Hills, California. A class action filed this week alleges that operators of a Jewish cemetery in Mission Hills allegedly broke open concrete interment vaults and discarded or lost human remains as they made room for additional decedents. For those who read these headlines in shock and fear for the sanctity of their loved ones, a systematized measured approach to such horrific news is the best course to take in an attempt to gain information, deal with the emotional distress and turmoil and to seek rightful vindication, if necessary.
Charlip Law Group, LC has been involved in numerous mortuary cases handling hundreds of clients at a time with each separate scandal. The experience we have gained in handling the fall-out from similar scandals such as Lynn University in Florida, Memorial Gardens in Florida, Biomedical in New York, Bayview Crematory in New Hampshire and Burr Oak in Illinois have taught prospective emotional distress litigants to take a measured approach in reacting to the news of irregularities at a funeral home, mortuary, crematory or cemetery.
First, news reports are no substitute for getting information directly from the funeral home, mortuary, and crematory or cemetery management (assuming they will be responsive). Therefore, the first thing to be done is to ask for information directly from the prospective defendant. Ask for such documentation, affidavits (if necessary) or other paperwork that would provide you with adequate assurances that your loved one was properly handled. If the prospective defendant is non-responsive or if the assurances provided do not go far enough to quell your concern, it is then appropriate to retain counsel to act on your behalf. Once you have diligently sought to dispel any concerns raised by the media by obtaining such adequate assurances and have not received any relief, it is then important to deal with your emotional distress by seeking medical attention and counseling. Getting through such a difficult time involves confronting the feelings and emotions caused by the mishandling. Obtaining vindication also involves the documentation and proof that the emotional distress you have suffered merits compensation. The law does not make all emotional distress people suffer actionable. Therefore it is important to treat the distress you are suffering as a medical problem to be solved and managed instead of a horrible nightmare to be ignored until it fades from memory.
With the Jewish New Year approaching, remembrance of our departed loved ones takes on added significance and meaning. We here at Charlip Law Group, LC have assisted hundreds of people all over the country in dealing with the emotional distress of concerned families of Eden Memorial Cemetery decedents. If you have family members buried in the Eden Memorial Park Cemetery in Mission Hills, CA David H. Charlip and the mortuary attorneys at Charlip Law Group, LC can assist you by contacting the firm at 1-800-773-1955.
